Saturday, January 25, 2014

DIABETIC ALERT DOG TRAINING AND ROTI PARATHA

I am having trouble training Maya for high and low scents, as my son's blood glucose levels are so stable, that he rarely goes out of range. So, there are not many opportunities for training. For the moment, I have decided to train Maya to perform service tasks, when she is not lazing around that is.

Yep, that is how she sleeps.

So 2 days ago, I taught her to retrieve my son's glucose meter, which he uses every few hours to test his blood. I just used the case for the training. She learnt the behavior in about 5 minutes! We placed the meter on the floor which stirred her curiosity and she of course picked it up. The main problem is she likes to play tug of war with everything. To teach her to bring the meter and drop it, I waved a treat in front of her and said "drop it". The lure of the treat made her drop the meter. I then clicked and gave her the treat. The clicker is a small device which makes an audible "click", and the sound is a positive reinforcement for the behavior. I continued on making it a game of fetch, whilst saying "bring me the meter" and she received a click and treat for each retrieval and drop of the meter. She could do this easily after about 5 minutes. The following day, I placed the meter on a low shelf which will be its living place so she knows consistently where to retrieve it from.

You can see in these pics Maya bringing the meter to my son. The other task she needed to know was to "bring me juice". If a diabetic has low blood sugar, they need a drink of juice fast to bring their levels up again. So I put some juice in a plastic bottle on the shelf next to the meter. When I asked her to bring me some juice, she knew it was a different command to the "meter". She tried to pick up the juice bottle with her mouth, but her mouth wasn't wide enough, so she tipped the bottle over on its side, and pushed it over to my son with her nose! She is so smart! That was her first attempt as well. I could almost see the new neural connections happening in her brain. Sorry for bragging.

Now onto food. There are certain foods I miss now we cannot eat wheat. In Singapore, my favourite dish would have to be roti paratha with curry.. I could eat it everyday it is so delicious. Luckily, I found a recipe for gluten free flat bread, which tastes surprisingly similar to roti. It's not exactly low carb, as it contains tapioca starch, but for a treat every now and then I approve. Recipe here:

Delicious with chicken curry. I don't have a proper recipe for this. I just use Mussaman curry paste as the base, throw in some meat and low carb vegetable (whatever is in the fridge) and mix in coconut cream before serving.

Hello how are you everyone I want tell you some special about dog training. For successful training, practice the following basic training steps with your puppy every day. Keep training sessions short. Your puppy will see everything as a game, so keep him stimulated by changing what he's learning. Do each command for about five minutes and come back to it whenever you can. Practice the commands in lots of different places — in the living room, garden, hall or kitchen, even out on walks — so that he gets used to responding to you in all sorts of situations. You can use the click technique to help with other aspects of your puppy's training, such as encouraging him to stand still for grooming and getting him used to traveling by car. Your puppy will learn very quickly and respond to love and affection as well as rewards. Obedience training will help build a lasting bond between the two of you and you'll be rewarded with a happy, well-trained dog. Giving in to your puppy's every need is not a good thing. As your puppy grows, so will his need to assert himself. Puppies often choose mealtimes as a battleground. But giving in to him is a mistake. You need to make sure he knows that you won't respond to his every demand. Your puppy needs to learn that people around him, particularly small children, can be a bit unpredictable. But he needs to accept that their unpredictable behavior is not threatening. You can help him do this by imitating a child's behavior. Try stepping quickly towards his bowl — then drop in a treat. Gently bump into him, while he's eating, or roll toys nearby — anything to cause a distraction, but drop a treat in the bowl to reward him for continuing to eat calmly. Do this every so often, but not at every meal. If your puppy freezes mid-mouthful, growls or glares at you, stop and try again another time. If this continues, it's best to seek advice from a veterinary behaviorist or certified dog trainer.Check this out

Hey friends how are you I want share with you some dogs training tips. Dogs have always communicated with each other by using body language. This involves facial expressions, body postures, noises and scents. Dogs will use their mouth, eyes, ears and tail to express emotions. By learning how to interpret your puppy's body language, you can interpret your puppy's intentions.Signs of aggression or submissionIf your puppy is feeling brave or aggressive, he'll try to make himself larger by standing tall, with his ears and tail sticking upright. He'll also push out his chest and raise the hair on his neck and back. He might also growl and wave his tail slowly. On the other hand, a submissive dog will try to make himself appear small and act like a puppy. This is because an adult dog will "tell off" a puppy but not attack him. Submission will take the form of a sideways crouch near to the ground, his tail held low but wagging away. He may also try to lick the face of the dominant dog or human. He may even roll on his back.Your puppy's tailMost of us recognize that tail wagging is a sign of friendliness and pleasure, but the tail can indicate other moods, too.The normal way a dog holds his tail varies from breed to breed but generally speaking, a tail held higher than 45 degrees to the back expresses alertness and interest. If your puppy's tail is waved slowly and stiffly, that's an expression of anger. If it's clamped low over his hindquarters, it means your pet is afraid. An anxious or nervous dog may droop his tail but wag it stiffly.Your puppy's eyesIf your dog's eyes are half closed, that's a sign of pleasure or submission, while eyes wide open can indicate aggression.In the wild, dogs stare at each other until one backs down or makes a challenge, so you should never attempt to outstare your puppy, especially if he's nervous.

Current time on the Gold Coast...

About Me

In November 2012, my son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I have made it my mission to do whatever it takes to keep him healthy. The usual mainstream advice regarding nutrition for diabetics, is so incorrect I can hardly believe that the healthcare industry promotes it. I believe I have found the most effective way to maintain normal blood glucose levels. I am also training a border collie puppy to become my son's diabetic alert dog. I really feel like an alien in the world of diabetes.
When I am not managing diabetes, I love to travel to Singapore and Japan to buy craft and beading supplies. My other loves are: Low carb cooking, Paleo lifestyle, sewing, crafting, jewellery making, softies, Japanese magazines and of course, my family.
I am a committed Christian, and I try to live according to Jesus' teachings. (I fail constantly, but that is why I need God in my life)